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Title: EFFECTS OF ANTEMORTEM WING FLAPPING ON THE QUALITY OF BROILER PECTORALIS MAJOR (FILLET) AND PECTORALIS MINOR (TENDER) MUSCLES

Author
item FLETCHER, D - UGA
item Buhr, Richard - Jeff

Submitted to: Poultry Science Association Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/23/2005
Publication Date: 7/31/2005
Citation: Fletcher, D.L., Buhr, R.J. 2005. Effects of antemortem wing flapping on the quality of broiler pectoralis major (fillet) and pectoralis minor (tender) muscles [abstract]. Poultry Science Association Meeting Abstract. 84(suppl.1):58.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Experiments were conducted to compare the effects of antemortem wing flapping on the Pectoralis major (fillet) and minor (tender) breast muscles of processed broiler carcasses. In each experiment, birds were hung on a shackle line by their feet and either stunned and killed immediately or were allowed to struggle and flap their wings for 2 minutes prior to stunning and slaughter. In Experiment 1, 6 week old commercial broilers were compared to 14 week old Athens Canadian Random Bred (ACRB) birds. Following slaughter, the carcasses were eviscerated, chilled, frozen, and sliced traversely to enable evaluation of breast muscle quality in the sliced sections. The difference between fillet and tender color, the appearance of the fillet-tender interface, and defects (blood spots) were scored and the muscle pH and color measured objectively. In Experiment 2, three replicate trials were conducted only on commercially obtained broilers. Following treatment, slaughter, evisceration the birds were chilled packed in ice for 24 hours and the fillet and tender removed for determiniation of pH and color. In Experiment 1, the only significant score was for the color difference between fillet and tender muscles in the commercial broiler carcasses. Wing flapping resulted in a significantly higher tender pH value but had no effect on the fillet. In Experiment 2, wing flapping of commercial broilers resulted in a significantly higher pH in the tender with no effect on the fillet. Color values were inconsistent between the experiments and broiler types, but wing flapping consistently resulted in a significantly more red tender. These results indicate that antemortem wing flapping on the slaughter line may have a comparatively greater negative impact on the Pectoralis minor (tender) than on the Pectoralis major (fillet) brest muscle.